I met you amid the chaos of war, parted from you amid the chaos of war, saw you again amid the chaos of war, and lived alongside you amid the chaos of war. Thank the Buddha for letting me meet you. To have met you in this life is already the best fate.
Her name was An Rao: may she find peace through the long night and bring many blessings.
His name was Ruo Sheng: seeing form as emptiness, seeing death as life, and thus attaining nirvana.
Let the mind arise without dwelling anywhere.
When the mind neither comes nor goes, it enters nirvana.
She wanted to persuade the emperor to lay down his slaughtering blade and win people over through sincerity. He wanted to save his country and its people, and could protect her too.
I quietly await the peach tree’s bloom, hoping you’ll return when its leaves fall.
I descend into the mortal world in the Buddha’s form, to guard your peace, happiness, and reincarnation.
Revered Buddha, please tell me: what should I do? To betray you is betrayal; to betray her is betrayal too.
Is there truly a way to satisfy both, to betray neither the Tathagata nor you?
They came bearing a mission. How could their lives ever be peaceful?
So, may we meet again in the next life...